ANCYL attacks Bobani for allegedly ignoring youth development issues

By Afikile Lugunya - Nov 15, 2018

The African National Congress (ANC) Youth League in the Nelson Mandela Bay on Thursday said in statement that Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Executive Mayor, Mongameli Bobani, is ignoring issues that are related to Youth Development.

In the statement, the ANCYL went as far as stating that they are "disgusted" by Mayor Bobani’s approach to the issue.

The ANCYL further alleged that the Mayor has "displayed complete disregard for the urgency in which the municipality needs to tackle issues affecting the youth of the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and has made it evident that he has no intention of resolving youth issues."

According to the ANCYL, they wrote a letter to the mayor on the 25th of October 2018 requesting a meeting and a meeting was scheduled for Wednesday at 14:00.

However, the meeting was postponed “indefinitely” an hour before it sat.

The ANCYL further alleged that the Mayor's Chief of Staff brought it to their attention that the Mayor met with the Chief Whip and the Speaker, where it was decided that the meeting to discuss the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Youth Development Policy must be relegated to the Office of the Chief Whip.

"The relegation of this meeting is a clear signal that the Mayor is either clueless about the Youth Development Policy and its contents, or that he has no regard for the youth or the issues affected it,” the ANCYL claimed.

"We cannot accept the fact that a matter which resides in the Office of the Mayor is relegated to another office and we view this decision as undermining to our efforts to initiate discussions around Youth Development."

The Youth League added that they are disappointed with Mayor Bobani because when there was a protest at City Hall, which called for the ousting of former Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality Mayor, Cllr Athol Trollip, Bobani was there.

However, Mayor Bobani told RNEWS that he had not ignored issues affecting the youth in the Bay and also highlighted that he hasn't received a letter from the ANCYL with complaints.

The Mayor said that until they do send him the letter, he won't be able to comment.

"I cannot comment about anything that I still haven't even seen and they didn't even speak to me," he said.

"I know that they are very capable people and if they have complaints, then they will come to speak to me.”

Mayor Bobani said that there are programmes planned for the development of the youth in the Bay, which will be announced as soon as they are "ready".

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